Zoku Quick Pop Maker

by Wendy Dembo

With gourmet popsicle brands all over Manhattan touting newfangled flavor combos (see Popbar, People’s Pops and La Newyorkina), the Zoku Quick Pop Maker steps in with a DIY way to concoct your own—three at a time—in less than 10 minutes.

Fun to use and loved by kids, you can keep it simple or (with patience) you can make pretty pops by pouring in one liquid, letting it sit for a few minutes and then adding another layer or two of a different juice. Tipping the machine leads to wavy lines, and experiments with fruits and yogurts, or even more adventurous fixings like carrots and beets, present limitless options for creativity.

The only downfall is that you have to freeze the Zoku for 24 hours before you can start to make your own personally-designed chilly pops. Pick it up from Zoku or Williams Sonoma for $50.

Remember the agony of waiting for popsicles to freeze when we were kids? Using technology similar to an ice cream machine, the folks behind the Zoku Quick Pop Maker have all but eliminated that wait time. Instant gratification is ours!

The Zoku consists of a sturdy hard-plastic base filled with the same kind of liquid found in ice cream makers. There are three individual wells for popsicles set into the base. These are made of non-stick cast aluminum so the pops are easy to remove once frozen. The popsicle sticks are made from plastic and specially grooved to grip the popsicles. (Six popsicle sticks are included.)

You first have to freeze the base overnight. Once it’s frozen solid, you insert the one popsicle stick into each well, pour in your popsicle base of choice, and wait for it to freeze. A special device called the Super Tool screws into the popsicle stick and helps to lift the frozen popsicles from the mold, which are otherwise difficult to remove by simple pulling. Snap on a drip guard and the popsicles are ready to eat.

Testing It Out

Check out the slide show above for a visual walk-through of the product.

Just as the instructions said to do, we froze the base overnight and took it out when we were ready to make our pops. Shaking it, the base felt completely solid and we heard no sloshing of the liquid inside.

We made a variety of popsicles to really put the Zoku through its paces. In the first round, we did a basic lemonade pop, one with slices of strawberries, and one with some of our leftover cranberry jelly. In the second round, we tried making yogurt pops layered with pomegranate juice following the recipe we talked about yesterday.

All of the lemonade pops froze solid in about 9 minutes. The yogurt pops took a little longer, about 12 minutes for the swirled pops and 20 minutes total for the layered pops. We were able to do two batches of the lemonade pops before the base needed re-freezing. With the yogurt pops, we only got one batch.

Both the lemonade and the yogurt pops were easy to remove from the mold using the Zoku Super Tool and made perfectly formed popsicles.

The instructions recommend not washing the device between each use, but it was pretty darn sticky after our few batches! We couldn’t help splattering the top while pouring and the outside also filmed over with frozen condensation. The insides of the wells stayed pretty clean, though. Since the Zoku instructions are also adamant about making sure the Zoku is completely dry before putting it back in the freezer, we used a plastic spatula to scrape off the splatters and condensation, and then used paper towels to make sure everything was dry before re-freezing it.

The Pros

This device really was as simple and straight-forward to use as promised. There are no cords to plug in, and no fancy parts to figure out. Using the Zoku is almost completely self-explanatory. Kids can definitely use it, though we’d recommend having an adult around for children under the age of 8 or so.

It made lovely popsicles and seems to work well with a lot of different base ingredients. Since the results are so instantaneous, it was really fun to play around with adding fruit, making layers, and combining flavors.

The texture of the pops was really amazing. Since it freezes so quickly, the ice crystals stay very small. This makes for a smoother, more evenly-textured popsicle. Biting off a piece was almost like eating a spoonful of ice cream or sorbet.

The Cons

The Zoku was also trickier to use in some ways than we expected. Anything that touches the sides of the mold freezes instantly. So if you’re making a layered pop or adding fruit, it can be challenging not to drip on the sides and to position fruits where you want them. Our pops definitely did not look as perfect as the pictures!

The instructions also say to insert the popsicle sticks before pouring in any of the ingredients, but we found that the sticks were really in the way and made things messier. It was far easier to fill the mold nearly full and then insert the sticks. The middle doesn’t freeze for several minutes, so as long as you leave a little headroom to allow for the stick, this was fine.

The promise that pops will freeze in 7-9 minutes and that the base can be used for three batches before re-freezing is a bit misleading. This might be true if you are making three batches of all-juice pops in very quick succession. But if you’re doing anything more complicated (like layers or making pudding pops), if you don’t take the pops out as soon as they’re ready, or if you wait a little too long between batches, a second batch starts to become iffy.

Subsequent batches also take much longer to make. This is expected as the base thaws in your warm summer kitchen, but can be frustrating if you have a line of neighborhood children wanting to know why they have to wait so long!

Overall Impressions

This is a good product with a solid design and lots of fun applications. We think it’s ideal for small family gatherings or an afternoon play-date with a friend or two.

Since you can only make three popsicles at once and since they have to be eaten right away (meaning you can’t make pops in advance or save ones that aren’t eaten), we think this is less ideal for larger parties and gatherings.

Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.

Trend Hunter has featured a bevy of phenomenal designs for the home that light up, some functioning like innovative lamps, others giving the ability to set custom moods, while others act as regular furniture, just with a very modern twist on design.

Check out some of the brightest ideas on Trend Hunter below.

Seats and Sofas

Louis XV furniture has been given a modern spin by Lee Broom. The designer describes his six piece trendy fusion collection as “art that is ultimately functional.” The fantastically eclectic concept plays… [More]

The first thing that comes to mind when I see this LED-illuminated Moss couch is that it looks like it belongs in an igloo. This makes a stunning compromise for anyone intrigued by the aesthetics of the… [More]

At just under $3,000, the Eudora lamp chair is a fiverglass chair that is upholstered in fabric and then encased in resin. It’s illuminated from the inside and made by hand. You can choose from a variety… [More]

For that extra punch of ambiance in your living room, consider getting an LED coffee table. The creation from the Evil Mad Scientist Lab consists of a glass-top table embedded with LEDs that are motion-activated.… [More]

Brilliant LED table glitters more than your candle-lit dinner. “led table designed by ingo maurer in 2003. this beautiful table is limited in production. this table is a true example of modern design.… [More]

This transparent LED table was designed by Julian Appelius and Fabien Dumas. When you place an object on the table, the object become illuminated by a halo of LED light… even if that object is your… [More]

Cabinets

Sotirios Papadopoulos designed this Fullmoon cabinet for Ennezero using ecologically-friendly paint. The Fullmoon glows in the dark and in that sense, as far as I am concerned, this is a creation that… [More]

Horm Voltaceleste is a glowing cabinet by designer Salvatore Indriolo. The cupboard has lighting inside and its wooden doors feature optical fibers of various diameters whose positions are governed by… [More]

Other

The new inflatable collection from Bubble Miami proves that inflatable furniture can be hot. Interestingly, you can also rent the inflatable bar, making sure you have the hippest pool party on your block.… [More]

Not only does this high-tech prayer rug look super funky with its glowing design, but its LED lights actually offer functional properties. Embedded inside the Turkish tapestry is a compass that enables… [More]

This pear glass, which plugs into the wall, changes color according to your mood. The mood bowl is capable of going through a cycle of 8 different colors but it can also remain on the same color of your… [More]

The ‘HOMELANDER’ is a high end DJ Booth by DJ Furniture. It comes with a customized high gloss finish, integrated air cooling fan, and in the color of your choice. The 3 LED lights and the 2 color powerleds… [More]

There’s nothing more relaxing that having a nice shower and letting the blue rays of light fall on your body.
“Sitting in the relaxation room, you are displaced to a garden setting in your Tuscan mansion,… [More]

Seen at the recent Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, exotic solid surfaces made of translucent semi-precious stones can be combined with under-counter lighting to create custom, eye-popping… [More]

Glass & Walls

These days, incredible interior design is all about originality, and sometimes the only way to do that is by modifying the supplies available in store. Take this door for example. Instead of leaving… [More]

It appears that light bulbs may soon become obsolete if Damian Savio, a Sydney design student, has his way. The Longueville designer invented Lightway window louvers that illuminate dwellings without… [More]

Torn Lighting by designer Billy May creatively integrate and disguise LED lights within your walls for a seamless and clean interior light solution. Painted the same color as your walls, the Torn Lighting… [More]

Light Canvases

What if you could design your own moods? For only $25,000 you can add an entire wall that shimmers and glows to your living room decor. Now imagine being able to fine tune it. The MoodSpace by Interactive… [More]

They should have this up in all waiting rooms in hospitals and offices. Philips Electronics introduced their Imagination Light Canvas— an interactive light wall that uses touch screen and Philips technologies… [More]

Dream & Fly. Mini Hotel Pods For The Weary Traveler.

Barcelona based company Dream & Fly has invented luxury low cost accommodations for busy people in transit who haven’t the time to find a hotel nearby. By creating individual prefabricated micro-hotels (modular pods), complete with a bathroom, a weary traveler can nap or rest in a clean, comfortable, private and even wired space.

The Dream & Fly “bubbles” are modular accommodations intended to be installed within busy airports, sea ports, train stations or other areas in which large concentrations of people are constantly traveling and need a small comfortable private place to sleep or rest.

The modern luxury pods come with a complete bathroom and can be rented by hour. Inspired by the nature of a womb, the pods are meant to shield you from the frenetic pace of places like airports and seaports.

There are three sizes; the Simple Bubble measures 5 meters square, the Single Bubble measures 7 meters square and the Family Bubble is 10 meters square.

Exterior:
Interior:

A passenger can sleep for a few hours in a comfortable bed which can be either single or double, lie down on the pillows of the reclining headrest and work on a fold-out table with access to the internet. He or she can consult the boarding details of their flight on an LCD monitor on the wall and rest all of their newspapers on a shelf next to the bed, which is totally equipped with stations for mobile phones and mp3 players, with ambient sound and electric sockets.

The passenger can take a shower, in the privacy of their own space, where they can find a sink, toilet and modern shower made of stainless steel, reminiscent of airplane bathrooms.

For the family, the larger pod consists of a space with a sofa that transforms into a bed for a body and a half, a cradle or nappy changing facility for babies, and other comforts which demand more space.

For now
it is simply a design, but there is very little preventing this
futuristic dining roomtable-and-chairs
furniture set from becoming a present-day reality. The pieces fit
neatly together and a simple pneumatic system would make the central
lift possible – providing a cosmetic overhang that doubles as a central
light fixture.

Cute, convertible and space-saving though it may be, this design does
have some drawbacks. Namely, there is an object in the center of the
table that obstructs views and the seats don’t appear to be fully stable
on their own. Still, as a concept design it is certainly some good
designer eye-candy either way.

Chosen by Karl Lagerfeld to create the Mobile Art CHANEL Contemporary
Art Container by Zaha Hadid, Zaha Hadid is one of the most talented
architects of our time, awarded the Pritzker Prize, considered to be the
Nobel Prize of architecture, in 2004. Each of her dynamic and
innovative projects builds on more than thirty years of revolutionary
experimentation and research.

The Mobile Art Pavilion for Chanel, initially inspired by Chanel’s
signature quilted bag and conceived through a system of natural
organization, is also shaped by the functional considerations of the
exhibition.

The Mobile Art Pavilion for Chanel by Zaha Hadid Architects has been
inspired by one of Chanel’s signature creations, the quilted bag. Chanel
is renowned for its layering of the finest textiles and exquisite
detailing to create the most elegant and cohesive pieces for each
collection. In her quest for complex, dynamic and fluid spaces the work
of Zaha Hadid has developed over the past thirty years through a
rigorous integration of natural and human-made systems and
experimentation with cutting-edge technologies.

Hadid’s architecture transforms our vision of the future with new
spatial concepts and bold, visionary forms.“I think through our
architecture, we can give people a glimpse of another world, and enthuse
them, make them excited about ideas. Our architecture is intuitive,
radical, international and dynamic. We are concerned with constructing
buildings that evoke original experiences, a kind of strangeness and
newness that is comparable to the experience of going to a new country.
The Mobile Art Pavilion for Chanel follows these principles of
inspiration,” states Zaha Hadid.

Continuing to arouse one’s curiosity is a constant theme in the work
of Zaha Hadid. The Mobile Art Pavilion for Chanel is the very latest
evolution of Hadid’s architectural language that generates a sculptural
sensuality with a coherent formal logic.

This new architecture flourishes via the new digital modelling tools
that augment the design process with techniques of continuous fluidity.
Zaha Hadid explains this process, “The complexity and technological
advances in digital imaging software and construction
techniques have
made the architecture of the Mobile Art Pavilion possible. It is an
architectural language of fluidity and nature, driven by new digital
design and manufacturing processes which have enabled us to create the
Pavilion’s totally organic forms – instead of the serial order of
repetition that marks the architecture of the industrial 20th century.”

Hadid’s innovative architecture is the reason Karl Lagerfeld invited
her to create the Mobile Art Pavilion. “She is the first architect to
find a way to part with the all-dominating post-Bauhaus aesthetic. The
value of her designs is similar to that of great poetry. The potential
of her imagination is enormous,” Karl Lagerfeld explained during the
launch of the Mobile Art Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Art Biennale.

Zaha Hadid Architects’ recent explorations of natural organizational
systems have generated the fluidity evident in the Pavilion for Chanel.
The Mobile Art Pavilion’s organic form has evolved from the spiralling
shapes found in nature. This system of organisation and growth is among
the most frequent in nature and offers an appropriate expansion towards
its circumference, giving the Pavilion generous public areas at its
entrance with a 128m2 terrace.

The Pavilion follows the parametric distortion of a torus. In its
purest geometric shape, the circular torus is the most fundamental
diagram of an exhibition space. The distortion evident in the Pavilion
creates a constant variety of exhibition spaces around its
circumference, whilst at its centre, a large 65m2 courtyard with natural
lighting provides an area for visitors to meet and reflect on the
exhibition.

This arrangement also allows visitors to see each other moving
through the space and interacting with the exhibition. In this way, the
architecture facilitates the viewing of art as a collective experience.
The central courtyard will also host evening events during the
exhibition in each host city. The organic shell of the Mobile Art
Pavilion is created with a succession of reducing arched segments. As
the Pavilion will travel over three continents, this segmentation also
gives an appropriate system of partitioning – allowing the Pavilion to
be easily transported in separate, manageable elements. Each structural
element will be no wider than 2.25 m. The partitioning seams become a
strong formal feature of the exterior façade cladding, whilst these
seams also create a spatial rhythm of perspective views within the
interior exhibition spaces.

MOBILE ART PAVILION FOR CHANEL
ZAHA HADID

The Mobile Art Pavilion for Chanel, initially inspired by Chanel’s
signature quilted bag and conceived through a system of natural
organisation, is also shaped by the functional considerations of the
exhibition. However, these further determinations remain secondary and
precariously dependent on the overriding formal language of the
Pavilion. An enigmatic strangeness has evolved between the Pavilion’s
organic system of logic and these functional adaptations – arousing the
visitor’s curiosity even further.

In creating the Mobile Art Pavilion for Chanel, Zaha Hadid has
developed the fluid geometries of natural systems into a continuum of
fluent and dynamic space – where oppositions between exterior and
interior, light and dark, natural and artificial landscapes are
synthesised. Lines of energy converge within the Pavilion, constantly
redefining the quality of each exhibition space whilst guiding movement
through the exhibition. The work of selected artists has been
commissioned for the exhibition. Hadid created an entire landscape for
their work, rather than just an exhibition space. Visitors will be
guided through the space using the latest digital technology developed
in collaboration with the artists.

“The fascination of the Mobile Art Pavilion is the challenge of
translating the intellectual and physical into the sensual –
experimenting with completely unexpected and totally immersive
environments for this global celebration of the iconic work of Chanel. I
see the Pavilion as a kind of a total artwork that continually
reinvents itself as it moves from Asia, to the USA and Europe,” states
Zaha Hadid.

Now is the time to say that tea is sexier than coffee! With John
Roth’s stylish Sorapot Teapot, the default setting of one’s inclination
towards coffee over tea will be changed for ever. The teapot that we
are talking about is astunning littlearchitectural piecemade of
stainless steel and pyrex, and is accompanied by a matching teacup.

The design is gorgeously modern because it comprises of a 304
stainless steel arch that houses a Pyrex (borosilicate) tube so that you
can see the tea leaves unfurl and ripple around to create the perfect
tea. In other words, for once the quiet beauty of tea is brought into
focus.

. Then the rectangular base and the short spout make it easy
to store. Since, Sorapot can easily handle two cups of tea, you can actually take the tea-making
business out of the kitchen and on to your desk. Then again, the
brewing is not affected by the componenets of the teapot.

However, there might be a little glitch. Traditional tea drinkers
might find the Sorapot fiddly and too small. But you know something, it
is worth a try, especially if you want to convert folks to being
tea-drinkers! The price is low at $200.

hushamokTM
is the ideal sleeping environment for your baby, providing you with the
safety your baby requires without sacrificing style.

The
versatility of hushamokTM not only provides a sturdy anchor
for the safety of your baby, but is also a fashionable design addition
that complements any style decor. hushamokTM is durable,
lightweight and portable, making it ideal for around the home or packed
for travel.

hushamokTM also guards against
potentially serious health concerns that can arise during baby’s sleep.
The innovative design of hushamokTM enables baby to sleep
soundly on their backs, which is a key recommendation in the prevention
of SIDs. hushamokTM creates a restful and nurturing sleep
environment, and is designed to reduce the incidence of flat head
syndrome.

It’s not always easy being thrifty. For me, it means not indulging my purse obsession as much as I’d like, forgoing the pricey bottles of wine, and decorating my house with thrift-store finds. I usually don’t mind, but sometimes, a little encouragement is in order

And when the A/C does break, the rich people sweat just like the poor people sweat. The sun treats everyone the same. This is one of the lessons you learn out there on the desert, when you're not mastering leadership and contemplating how creativity can bourguignon-beef up your bottom line.

Share| Be the first in your friends to like it Monday, August 22, 2011 Taylor Swift Does It Again in Nashville BUYER: Taylor Swift LOCATION: Nashville, TN PRICE: $2,500,000 SIZE: 5,601 square feet, 4 bedrooms 4.5 bathroomsYOUR MAMAS NOTES: Country-pop singer/songwriter Taylor Swift may only be in her very early twenties but she’s amassed four […]

The hottest trend right now in my opinion is color blocking. While this may not be a new trend, it is definitely coming back in a big way! From clothing to accessories to even beauty, color blocking seems to be everywhere and I definitely am loving it more and more! You can create an entire outfit mixing and matching different colors and look like you just s […]

Yes, all of these ridiculous bowwow baubles are real. And yes, all of these canine luxuries will be used as fodder to incite the coming revolution. Dogs are not fashion accessories, and if you’re decking Fido out in frivolous finery, then you are dumb. Also: you’re either rich or bellybutton-deep in credit card debt. But mostly dumb. Read more…

Just about everyone has seen the various reality shows documenting people’s problems with hoarding. Or maybe you just know someone who has a ton of junk laying around the house and you’re worried that they’re heading for an appearance on one of those shows